Doing my first trackday this wknd

[Icanfaptothis86]

I am doing my first trackday in a car this Sunday and my jimmies and johnnies are all vaporized. I have been on this track a dozen times on my motorcycle but never a car. Tips are welcome

[MightyMeeple]

Assume you will have an instructor with you on board:
1. Don't be afraid to ask questions.
2. Do what your instructor advises.
3. Drive well within your limits.
4. Have fun.

[Icanfaptothis86]

I changed the oil this wknd and I have my car in the shop getting a brake fluid flush coolant flush tire rotation and some other stuff

[Icanfaptothis86]

I bought a nomex thong

[strat61caster]

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25485

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by Icanfaptothis86

I am doing my first trackday in a car this Sunday and my jimmies and johnnies are all vaporized. I have been on this track a dozen times on my motorcycle but never a car. Tips are welcome

All the same basic principals apply. No sudden inputs, and apply brakes and throttle as if you were on two wheels. The car is more forgiving, but speed is achieved in the same fashion.

[Icanfaptothis86]

Did the track day. I took my old 2005 mini cooper S that has not had regularly scheduled maintenance and no functioning airbags. Maybe 165hp on a good day but it does have racing pads and brake fluid. Anyways the other cars in level 1 were 2 brand new M3s a M4 and a NSX. I was running in front mostly due to lack of fawx given about destroying the car. My heel toe is solid although I did miss second gear once allowing the next car to catch me. The instructor said I need to work on throttle steering a front wheel drive car.

Cant wait to take the brz

[Icanfaptothis86]

Also should note that I lost my center caps hitting the kerbing at 90mph. I would suggest taking rims you dont give any fawx about or perhaps removing your centercaps for the trackday. That was my lesson learned.

THis thread is so useful someone needs to sticky this

[FrX]

Originally Posted by Icanfaptothis86

Also should note that I lost my center caps hitting the kerbing at 90mph. I would suggest taking rims you dont give any fawx about or perhaps removing your centercaps for the trackday. That was my lesson learned.

Organizations around here tend to discourage running center caps for that very reason. They fall off and create debris on the track that someone else could run over. I made the mistake of running center caps on for one track day at a particularly brake heavy track. They melted. That's another good reason to not run them.

[DarkSunrise]

Originally Posted by Icanfaptothis86

Did the track day. I took my old 2005 mini cooper S that has not had regularly scheduled maintenance and no functioning airbags. Maybe 165hp on a good day but it does have racing pads and brake fluid. Anyways the other cars in level 1 were 2 brand new M3s a M4 and a NSX. I was running in front mostly due to lack of fawx given about destroying the car. My heel toe is solid although I did miss second gear once allowing the next car to catch me. The instructor said I need to work on throttle steering a front wheel drive car.

Cant wait to take the brz

Throttle steering will take on a whole new meaning with RWD

[Icanfaptothis86]

Originally Posted by FrX

Organizations around here tend to discourage running center caps for that very reason. They fall off and create debris on the track that someone else could run over. I made the mistake of running center caps on for one track day at a particularly brake heavy track. They melted. That's another good reason to not run them.

Yea I think heat was involved as well bc they were just laminated on there to begin with.

It was 104 yesterday

Brakes did better than I thought they would

Oil temps were fine but I did run the heat at full blast just in case

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by Icanfaptothis86

Also should note that I lost my center caps hitting the kerbing at 90mph. I would suggest taking rims you dont give any fawx about or perhaps removing your centercaps for the trackday. That was my lesson learned.

THis thread is so useful someone needs to sticky this

Removing centercaps is typically standard procedure and part of the car-prep/tech checklist that most organizations require.

let us know when you need pads and fluid for the BRZ

[stugray]

Believe it or not: First time out - leave the TC & VSC ON.

Wait until you experience the nannies stepping in a few times before you go and disable it all.

The truth is: If, as a beginner, you drive the car in a way that is making the nannies yell at you then you are not driving smoothly enough.

You have to be really good before the nannies are actually HURTING your lap times.

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by stugray

Believe it or not: First time out - leave the TC & VSC ON.

Wait until you experience the nannies stepping in a few times before you go and disable it all.

The truth is: If, as a beginner, you drive the car in a way that is making the nannies yell at you then you are not driving smoothly enough.

You have to be really good before the nannies are actually HURTING your lap times.

I disagree.

Everyone needs to start with the nannies off, and also KNOW that they have all the nannies off. This prevents dependence on the nannies, and progresses the driver's understanding of vehicle dynamics that much faster. This prevents the mentality of "oh the nannies will save me" versus "oh the nannies aren't there and if I do that, it'll probably spin me out, possibly damaging the car, so I won't do that".

A novice will not have the awareness to notice a flashing VSA light.